Monthly Archives: March 2016

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The Big Payoff of Reading Aloud to Kids of All Ages

Out of all the different ways that we can help our kids succeed in school, the number one thing that parents can do requires nothing more than a free library card and time. We can read to them.

In 1983, the U.S. Department of Education was concerned about low academic performance scores, so they funded a Commission on Reading who spent two years combing through thousands of research reports conducted over the previous twenty-five years, and in 1985 they published their findings in a report titled Becoming a Nation of Readers. Amidst all of their digging, they discovered that reading out loud to kids is the number one most important thing we can do to help our kids become successful learners.

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children,” the report said. “It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.”

I’ve Seen It First Hand

I homeschool all my kids, so I have had the privilege of watching them learn to read. (Well, the first five that is; the four year old is just starting.) And I’ve noticed reading happens in different ways for different kids. A few of my kids were early fluent readers, reading simple chapter books independently before Kindergarten. But a couple of them did not take to it so easily.

Jenni Stahlmann is the mom of seven kids (ages 1 to 20) including one on the autism spectrum. She and her husband Matthew homeschool the whole brood. Jenni has been a journalist for more than 20 years, having covered government, business and family issues for a wide range of magazines and newspapers. Currently, she and Jody co-host a weekly syndicated radio show, write a weekly newspaper column and freelance articles and speak at churches, political groups and homeschool conventions about parenting on purpose.

Opens in theaters tomorrow, March 4th

I have to admit that I didn’t expect much from Zootopia, but boy was I wrong! I had the chance to see it earlier this week with our resident YouTube reviewer (a.k.a Griffyn Stahlmann or “G to the S,” as he refers to himself), and we were both surprised at how good it turned out to be.

The newest feature film from Disney is set in the modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia, a city comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown. Zootopia is a melting pot where animals from every environment, whether or predator or prey live together harmoniously.

The story centers on a rookie police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), who has overcome decidedly insurmountable odds to achieve her dream of becoming the first bunny cop. In spite of her success at the police academy, Officer Hopps has to work extra hard to prove herself, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), in order to crack a seemingly cold case.

Beneath the typical “kid story” of believing in yourself and working hard to become anything you put your mind to, there were underlying stereotypes, prejudices and judgements that threatened the harmony of Zootopia and the hopes of the film’s heroes.

The plot takes some unexpected turns along the way, holding the attention of the kids and the adults in the audience. It’s a fun and meaningful story that the whole family can enjoy.

Zootopia opens in theaters tomorrow, March 4th. It’s a great pick for a family movie, but you can skip the 3-D if you’re on a budget this week. I happen to enjoy 3-D and would probably see every movie that way if I could, but I know that a lot of people do not share my enthusiasm for it. If that’s you, Zootopia would be just as exciting in the standard format. We got to see it in 3-D, and there was nothing particularly exceptional about it.

If you head out to the theaters this weekend, stop back and tell us what you thought of Zootopia! And if you’d like to see Griffyn’s review, click here.

Jenni Stahlmann is the mom of seven kids (ages 1 to 20) including one on the autism spectrum. She and her husband Matthew homeschool the whole brood. Jenni has been a journalist for more than 20 years, having covered government, business and family issues for a wide range of magazines and newspapers. Currently, she and Jody co-host a weekly syndicated radio show, write a weekly newspaper column and freelance articles and speak at churches, political groups and homeschool conventions about parenting on purpose.

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